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"Pixel Patrol" is an immersive and thought-provoking interactive simulation installation that explores the intricate challenges of content moderation in a dystopian world. By examining the power dynamics between individual users and powerful tech companies.
About "Pixel Patrol"
Pixel Patrol is an immersive interactive installation that invites audiences to step into the role of a digital content moderator on a fictional social platform. Through real-time decision-making and fragmented narrative cues, participants navigate a stream of images, messages, and directives—deciding what should be purged, flagged, or dismissed. These small acts of judgment gradually reshape the simulated platform’s landscape, revealing how algorithmic systems mirror human bias, empathy, and control.
By blending gameplay-like mechanics with cinematic interaction, Pixel Patrol exposes the invisible emotional labor and psychological strain behind digital governance. The work draws a parallel between the moderation of information and the curation of nature—both acts of selection and erasure that define contemporary life.
Conceived and developed by Lifei Wang, the project bridges design research and artistic exploration to question how technology mediates power, responsibility, and sustainability within digital ecosystems. It transforms an everyday online experience into a reflective space for collective ethics and awareness.
Technical Details & Interaction
"Pixel Patrol" utilizes an interactive installation with three monitors, each displaying different content. The project incorporates pixel art, AI-generated content and storylines, and dynamic gameplay elements, engaging players in a thought-provoking experience that examines the relationship between individuals, technology, and power in the digital age.
The content employs ChatGPT and Midjourney to generate text prompts and visual references, and Runway Gen-1 to create video content, resulting in a majority of visual and video content for reference. All content is seamlessly integrated through post-production in After Effects. The interactive interfaces of the installation are powered by TouchDesigner, which enables visitors to engage with the three-monitor setup in a dynamic and intuitive manner. Moreover, the monitors have undergone modifications such as the removal of the polarizer and the addition of polarizing films to glasses and polarized cards, revealing hidden content and adding an extra layer of interactivity to the overall experience.
